William fricke



(No Model.)

w FRIOKE. COUCH BED.

No. 534,789. Patented Feb. 26, 1395..

19 g #Q f A x i OT Ln'Hm. WASHINGTON, n. c.

Uwrrnn States WILLIAM FRICKE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COUCH-BED.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 534,789, dated February 26, 18935.

Application filed November 6, 1894. Serial No, 523006. (N mo l-l T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM FRIOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ooucl1-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved couch-bed of that class in which all the accessories, such as blankets, sheets and pillows, can be stored entirely within the structure, so as to be at hand whenever the couch is to be changed into a bed; and the invention consists of a couch-bed, which comprises alower box-shaped section containing aspring bottom and mattress, and a seat-section which is hinged to the rear-part of thelower section and provided with folding straps for being supported in raised position, the lower or bedsection being provided at its head end with a raised and inclined portion for the bolster and pillow, while the seat section is provided with a raised and inclined portion extending over the inclined head-portion of the bed-section, the front-wall of the head-portion of the seat-section being recessed at its inner frontwall so as to permit the lifting of the seat-section clear of the inclined head-portion of the bedsection whenever the seat-section is placed in raised position or returned into closed position on the bed-section, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of my improved couch-bed, showing the same in position as a couch. Fig. 2 is a front-elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal section on line 2, 2, Fig. 3, showing the couch-bed in position for use as a bed. Fig. 3 is an end-elevation of the couch-bed, showing it in position as a bed, and Fig. 4 is an end-elevation of thecouch-bed, showing it in position as a couch, a portion of said figure being cut away so as to show it through the front-walls of the head-portions of the bed and seat-sections.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the lower portion or bed-section of my improved couch-bed, and B the seat section of the same. The lower or bed-section A is supportedon suitable casters, and is formed of an oblong wooden box, which is provided with transverse slats a at the lower part of the same, which support a bed-bottom C on which the mattress D is placed. The seat section B is hinged to the rear-edge of the bed-section A so as to be adapted to be moved into vertical position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the seat section being supported in this position by means of folding-straps b b that are pivoted at their outer ends to the ends of the bed-seetion A and seat-section B, and at intermediate points to each other, each lower strap being provided with a stop-pin b that engages a notch b in the upper strap when the straps b b are placed in open or extended position, while the pinb forms a stop for the upper strap when the straps are placed in folded position, as shown in Fig 4..

The seat-section B of my improved conchbed is preferably provided at one end with a handle d, by which the seat-section is taken off when raising or lowering the same. At one end of the bed-section A is arranged an upwardly-extending head-portion A, the front and rear-walls of which are inclined so as to provide a sufficient space for the bolster and pillow. The front and rear-walls of the head-portion A are made of less width than the width of the bed-section A, so that the head-portion B of the seat-section B can readily pass over and inclose the head-portion ot the bed-section A. The head-portion B of the seat-section B is likewise provided with inclined front and rear-walls so as to fit over the head-portion of the bed-section, the inclined top-part of the head-portion of the seat-section B being upholstered so as to form a head-rest when the structure is used as a couch.

The front-wall of the head-portion B of the seat-section B is provided at its inner side with a recess e, shown in Fig. 4, or the front- 5 wall is reduced sufficiently in thickness so as to provide in either case a clearancespace between the front-walls of the head-portion B of the seat-section B and the head-portion A of the main-section, so that the lower intoo ner edge of the front-wall of the head-portion of the seat-section can pass clear of the upper edge of the headportion of the bed-section,when the seat-section is movedinto open or closed position. This space is necessary for the purpose of producing the clearance of the bed-section, by the seat-section when the latter is moved into raised or lower position.

At the foot-end of the bed-section may be arranged a hinged foot-board f, which is moved into raised position when the couch-bed is in open position and returned into lowered position when the structure is used as a couch.

My improved couch-bed is operated as follows: When the same is to be used as a bed, the seat-section is lifted by taking hold of its handle and raised until the pivoted straps which connect the ends of the bed-section with the ends of the seat-section are in line with each other. The stop-pins of the lower straps enter into the notches of the upper straps and retain thereby the folding straps in extended position. The under side of the seat-section is covered by a suitable fabric as shown in Fig. 2, so as to improve thereby the appearance of the structure when in use as a bed. In the bed-sectionare located away the pillows, sheets, blankets, 850., which remain in their proper position in the same, so that as soon as the seat-section is moved into raised position the bed-section is ready for use as a bed, all that is required being to lift up the foot-board, if one be used. When the couch-bed is to be used as a couch, the connecting-straps at the head-end of the structure are unlocked by pressing down the middle portions of the straps, the straps at the other end being so arranged that they do not require to be unlocked, but follow the folding motion of the straps at the head-end. As soon as the unlocking of the straps is accomplished, the seat-section is lowered, the downward motion folding up the straps, until the seat-section rests on the bed-section and covers thereby the bed-section and all the bed clothes, &c., in the same.

The couch-bed is intended to be constructed as a single bed, and is especially adapted for smaller rooms, such as hall-rooms, doctors offices, and similar purposes. The structure can also be made in the nature of a sofa-bed, in which case a second inclined section is arranged at the foot-end of the seat-section, butit is preferable to arrange the structure as a couch-bed, as this is the mostconvenient and cheapest form in which it can be made.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A couch-bed, composed of a bed-section having a head-portion provided with front and rear-walls inclined at their upper edges and arranged within a space of less width than that of the bed-section, a seat-section hinged at one side to one side of the bed-section and having an inclined head-portion constructed with a hollow in its underside, said hollow being adapted to receive the head-portion of the bed-section, the sides and ends of the seatsection resting when in closed position on the corresponding sides and ends of the head-section, and pivoted and folding locking-straps connecting the ends of the bed-section with the seat-section, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionl have signed my namein presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM FRIOK E.

Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, Gno. L. WHEELooK. 

